Awesome Morning.

So today I had one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had in worship.

HERE’S WHY WE DID IT
We’re in the middle of a series called “How To Be Free” at Round Rock, with each lesson coming from Israel’s first few moments of freedom in Exodus 14. Wow that’s a great text.

Today, we talked about how we can’t do freedom on our own—how that, like Israel, we have to learn to trust God to fight the battles we can’t. We talked about how, with the Egyptian army bearing down on them, Moses assured the terrified Israelites, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” And then, in a stunning moment, after God brought his people through the water, he buried the pursuing Egyptian army in the sea.

Everyone has Egyptians.

They’re the things that enslave us. The things that incite fear, worry, and anxiety in our hearts. The things we can’t beat on our own.

So with that in mind, we decided to turn those things over to a God who promises to fight for us. And we decided to mark the moment.

HERE’S WHAT WE DID
Spaced around the edge of the platform were three big clear vases filled with water, about 10 piles of stones, and a bunch of Sharpie markers. With some evocative music playing behind powerful Scriptures on the screen, people rose from their seats, walked down front, grabbed a stone, and wrote on it the name of the thing that’s been enslaving them—the thing they need God to beat.

Then, they buried their stone in the water.

It was beautiful. Lines forming down the aisles all the way to the back of the auditorium. 16-year-olds huddled beside 75-year-olds, scrawling on stones the things they pledged to turn over to God. The clanking sound of rock after rock finding its way to the bottom of the water. The tears of so many so determined to be free. Then, finally, the sight of our Egyptians lying in piles, buried beneath the waters of God’s power.

And through it all, the words of Exodus 14 ringing in our ears and hearts:

“The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

I’ll never forget it.

P.S. Round Rock folks, I’d love to hear your thoughts/observations in the comments.

Singing is Saying, But More

Why did God invent song? And why did he build it into the lives of His followers?

I’m not absolutely confident of the answer to those questions, but I know this: Some things are too beautiful or wonderful just to be said.

They need their own music.

6 Ways to Tell if Your Spiritual Life is Ritual-Heavy and Relationship-Light

An inescapable truth in Scripture: Christianity is centered on relationship. Not ritual.

Is that to say ritual is meaningless and unimportant? Nope. But the moment the execution of proper ritual eclipses the pursuit of meaningful relationship with God and people, we’ve missed the mark.

So here are 6 ways to tell if your Christianity is more about ritual than relationship:

1. You talk more about issues than you do about Christ.
   
   
2. Worship/ritual feels empty.
   
   
3. You would rather debate someone than share what Christ has done in your life.
   
   
4. You know a lot of what the Bible says, but you don’t do all that much of what the Bible says.
   
   
5. Because your public worship happens a lot more than your private devotion, people think you’re holier than you are.
   
   
6. Your Christianity isn’t very portable; it stays mostly at the church building.

I’d love to say I can’t identify with any of these, but that would be very untrue. I’m glad to say, though, that a lot fewer of them apply today than did a few years ago.

What about you?

A Reason To Sing

God wired song into creation. …But only certain parts of it.

Scientists tell us that approximately 5400 species of animals sing: humpback whales, pigmy blue whales, dolphins, gibbons, Mexican Freetail bats, certain tree frogs, and of course, birds—well over 5,000 different species in all.

But of all the animals that sing, apparently not one lives on the ground. It seems every singing animal lives either in trees or in the ocean.

Fascinating.

Researchers believe the reason for this is that singing requires security. Singing makes an animal’s presence known—not just to allies, but to enemies. Though they aren’t perfect, tree canopies and ocean environments tend to be more secure than their terrestrial counterparts. Because they are, their inhabitants feel safe enough to sing.

Of course, the one exception to all of the above is a species with which you and I are quite familiar. The only ground-dwelling organisms that produce song are humans.

Which makes sense, seeing as though, technically, our citizenship lies not on the earth but elsewhere.

Sanctuary

Sometimes life stinks.

And it’s almost a guarantee that when yours does, other people’s won’t. You’ll look around at people who seem to have all kinds of good things happening to them, and you’ll wonder why they’ve got it so good. And before long, you’ll realize that a lot of those people aren’t really good people—at least, not as good as you.

They don’t love God. They don’t try that hard to be good husbands/wives. They don’t give money at church. They don’t even go to church.

And their brother didn’t die.

Or they’re making tons of money.

Or they don’t have cancer.

Or their marriage seems to be fine.

No fair.

Maybe you’ve felt that way before. I know I have. That’s why I appreciate Psalm 73. In one more example of the Psalms’ uncanny ability to speak into the real lives of real people, this Psalm addresses (not “solves forever,” but addresses) the good-things-to-bad-people/bad-things-to-good-people conundrum.

In the first 14 verses, the Psalmist shares his frustration about this problem, wondering out loud why in the world he (a God-fearing man) seems to be last in line for good stuff.

Then, beginning in verse 18, the Psalm takes a turn. Instead of bemoaning the fortunes of not-so-good people, the writer is suddenly hopeful. Cynicism is replaced by gratitude, envy eclipsed by pity.

Obviously, something changed.

And we don’t have to wonder what it was. Verses 16 & 17 reveal the source of this drastic shift in attitude and perspective:

“When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.”

Being in the sanctuary, offering worship to God.

Few things have the potential to change my heart, broaden my perspective, and readjust my priorities like worship does. When I bow before an almighty, all-knowing God, a few things happen:

• I see my problems more objectively (and they always look smaller that way).
• Focusing on the power and infinity of God, I can’t help but trust Him more fully.
• I realize the bad things that happen to me pale in comparison to the good things God gives me.
• I realize the good things that happen to those who don’t honor God pale in comparison to the bad things awaiting them in the end. This is a sobering thought.

Perspective, clarity, hope, and peace. I suppose it’s appropriate: being in the sanctuary can give us sanctuary—protection from the enemies of self-pity, pessimism, and depression.

For something designed to glorify God, worship certainly has a lot to offer us.